Pants-guard.



No. 648,456. Patanted May I, I900. I. H. FAY.

PANTS GUARD.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1899.)

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NrrEu STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

IRVING II. FAY, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED STEBLER, OF SAME PLACE.

PANTS-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 648,456, dated May 1, 1900.

Application filed $eptember 14, 1899. Serial No. 730,463. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern.-

tion.

This invention relates to improvements in pants-guards adapted for use by velocipede riders to hold the lower portions of the trousers-legs in such shape as not to interfere with the operation of the pedals, thereby avoiding the danger of their being caught in the driving mechanism or worn or soiled by coming in contact with the latter. At the same time the construction is'such that the legs of the trousers are held open to permit free circulation of air and are also held in such shape as to present a neat and sightly appearance.

To this end the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims and will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a guard embodying a preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the shape in which the trousers-leg is held being shown in dotted lines surrounding the guard and the ankle of the wearer beingshown in sectional View. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the guard is formed. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, A designates, as a whole, the guard, which, as shown in the present instance, consists of a strap of spring metal divided longitudinally throughout the principal part of its length, so as to form separate members at each end, as a o, a a. One pair of said members, as a, are bent or formed into a clasp adapted to fit closely around the ankle of the wearer, the form of the clasp being oval, so that the clasp when in position upon the ankle of the wearer will be held from rotating out of position. The other pair of members, as a, are formed into such shape as to outline the principal part of an elliptical figure, as indicated clearly in Fig. 2, the relation of the last-mentioned pair of arms to the clasp being such that the latter will be located approximately in the center of the outlined ellipse. In the particular instance illustrated herein the guard-arms a are of such length as to extend to the ends of the ellipse and a short distance back along the side of the ellipse opposite that outlined by the principal parts of said arms, the portion of the trousers-leg extending across the open side of the ellipse thus formed being held perfectly by the side of the clasp opposite that which is united with the guard-arms, as indicated clearly in said Fig. 2. Obviously the guard-arms may be varied slightly as to their length, it being obvious that they might be extended, so as to more nearly approach the completion of the ellipse or made slightly shorter than indicated in the drawings. It will be further obvious that the lengths of the arms which form the clasp are not necessarily equal-in other words, the opening through which the ankle passes when the clasp is sprung open need not necessarily be located exactly as shown. The end portions of the arms are suitably rounded, as indicated clearly in the drawings.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the objects of the invention are fully attained in a most simple and economical manner, the combined clasp and guard-arms being produced from a single blank of metal and so as to form a device of the most durable character.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified construction in which the guard is made adjustable as to the length to accommodate differentsized trousers-legs in a simple and effective manner. In this modified construction one of the guard-arms is made in two parts a a one of which is provided at its side edges with integral lugs or clips a which are bent over toward each other, so as to lie closely adjacent to, but not in contact with, one of the faces of the arms, thus forming a clasp or guide through which the end of the other part a may slide. Said clips are made to clasp the member a tightly, so as to hold the latter frictionally and are made of suflicient length to hold this extensible portion of the arm accurately in alinement with the other part thereof.

I claim as my'invention-- I 1. A pants-guard consisting of a strap of spring metal divided longitudinally throughout a part of its length, one pair of the divided ends being shaped into a clasp adapted to fit closely around the ankle of the wearer and the other pair being shaped-to outline a larger elliptical figure inolosing the clasp portion and adapted to hold the trouserslegexpanded,

substantially as described.

2. A pants-guard consisting of a strap of spring metal divided longitudinally from each end inwardly throughout a part of its length, one pair of the divided ends being shaped into a clasp adapted to fit closely around the I ankle'of the wearerand the other pair being shaped to form guard-arms which outline a larger elliptical figure inclosing the clasp portion' and adapted to hold the trousers-leg expanded, one of said guard-arms being made in two parts extensibly united with each other,

substantially as described.

'I'n testimonythat I claimthe foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of July, A. D. 1899.

- 1 IRVING H. FAY.

,Witnesses: 7 p r H. T. H-AYs,

' FRED STEBLER. 

